Absent Light Online
by SwiftWhiteWolf
Summary: Nagata Shinichi is an SAO survivor, but his elder brother wasn t so lucky. Michihiko Shinichi became one of the 300 trapped in ALO undergoing experimentation at the hands of Sugou Nobuyuki. No longer can Nagata afford to hide and remain a coward; to save his brother he must find his courage. Just how much is Recon willing to sacrifice to reunite his family?
1. Prologue

A few years ago, Sword Art Online was released. As the first full-dive VRMMORPG in the world, it was widely anticipated and became an instant hit all over the globe. Until it became a prison for 10,000 people, where if you died in the game you died in real life. Two years after Sword Art Online`s release, 3,853 had perished while trapped in the game. Only 5,847 people escaped (or were damned depending how you look at it) back in to the real world. 300 players from Sword Art Online didn`t get to escape. Instead, their consciousnesses were transferred without warning in to a new game, Alfheim Online. My name is Nagata Shinichi, and unknown to the world, I am an SAO survivor. I was one of the lucky ones; I escaped. However, my older brother Michihiko Shinichi did not. Throughout Sword Art Online, I never joined the front lines. Sure, I fought the monsters and leveled my skills up, but I never made much of a difference. I never saved anyone or put myself in immediate danger for someone else`s benefit. No, that was my Michihiko. He was always the brave one, the strong one, the charismatic leader. I was always the awkward little brother that followed along and got in the way. But by some cruel twist of fate it was me, Nagata, who escaped the death game Sword Art Online, and my brother who was trapped after the game ended. Why? Why was he trapped, and I set free? More importantly, where was Michihiko trapped? Since I was released from SAO, the only thing I have been able to think about is my brother. I`ve made up my mind that this time, I will be the hero. Instead of the coward who hides for two years and prays for someone else to free him, Nagata Shinichi will become the knight in shining armor. I will find my brother, however long that takes and I will save him.


	2. Someone Elses Life

**A/N:**** Hi, this is my first attempt at an SAO fanfiction. I just want to give you all a heads-up before reading the story that not everything follows the events of the time line from either the light novels, the anime, or the manga. Obviously since Recon is the main character of this story and also a survivor of Sword Art Online a few things have been changed around. In the original story Recon joins ALO before SAO is even beaten, and had never participated in the "Death Game". I wanted to write a story about what might have happened if things were different, so here it is. Also, you will notice as the story progresses that I have saved some of the characters who originally died and killed others. Yes, there are specific reasons for this, and I promise it will make sense the further this story progresses. I`m crossing my fingers that this will turn out well and appreciate any constructive suggestion or reviews. **

**Disclaimer:****Sadly I do not own Sword Art Online or any of it`s affiliated characters or content. All rights belong to those who originally created it and I only hope to one day compare to their greatness. XD**

**Absent Light Online**

**Chapter One: Someone Else`s Life**

** '**_Yesterday, November 7__th__ 2024, participants from the infamous Sword Art Online game began to wake up after being trapped in a virtual reality for over two years…'_ The news broadcast continued to play out on the television across from Michihiko Shinichi`s hospital bed. In the next bed over from the comatose patient was his brother; Nagata Shinichi. This fifteen year-old boy barely spared a glance towards the monitor, instead preferring to keep a close eye on his elder brother. For the last two years, both Nagata and Michihiko had been trapped in the VRMMORPG being mentioned on the news currently. Just yesterday Nagata had awakened, his conscious finally released from the artificially constructed world when another player had beaten the game. He lay in a hospital bed still, malnourished and recovering from his ordeal. Nagata, although unable to move around much yet for all the tubes and sensors attached to him, was staring at his sibling with an intensity that defied his weakened condition.

"Michihiko-nii." No response came, and the older boy`s face remained blank and impassive. "Michihiko, come on." Nagata had been waiting since his own reawakening to see his brother open his eyes as well, but it hadn`t happened. "Wake up, nii-san!" the youth tried to shout, but his voice, unused in the real world for so long came out hoarse and rusty sounding. He had not the strength to yell yet. The boy looked at his brother with something like desperation and struggled to sit up. Almost four thousand people had died while participating in SAO, the newscaster informed her viewers. That effectively recaptured Nagata`s attention. He turned towards the screen with a horrified expression. _Almost four thousand? Surely not…_The raven-haired boy didn`t even want to think about what that meant. For the majority of his time during SAO he had stayed well away from the front lines, avoiding helping to clear the game because he was afraid of dying in real life. Nagata reached for his glasses next to the bedside table, thinking that his brother had been much braver than he. Michihiko had consistently participated in the floor-clearing raids within Aincrad. Time and again Nagata recalled urging his brother not to go;

_ "What happens if you get killed? What am I supposed to tell our parents? That you died trying to be the hero in a video game? Mom would go mad with grief."_

_ "You don`t think maybe she already has? We`ve been stuck in her for over a year already. If I don`t fight for this, I`m going to die for nothing anyways little brother."_

Donning his glasses so he could see properly, Nagata`s eyes widened with shock at witnessing his sibling`s emaciated face in sharp detail. Michihiko`s eyes were sunken back under their lids, and his cheeks had a distinctly hollow appearance. Life support in the form of feeding tubes and other invasive measures had kept both siblings alive, but only just. The younger boy could see his brother`s chest rising and falling, could hear his heart rate monitored on the machines, but was left feeling utterly alone in spite of this. There was no sign of acknowledgment from Michihiko. It was like Nagata and his pleas didn`t exist. Yet he was the one sitting up against the pillows, reaching for the button that would call a nurse. Michihiko stayed silent and unmoving, even as the younger Shinichi`s monitor`s began beeping more frantically and the nurses raced in to the hospital room in response.

~X~x~X~x~X~

Two months later, Nagata Shinichi was finally done with his physical rehabilitation therapy after surviving Sword Art Online. He waited on a bench in the main lobby of the hospital for his father to arrive and take him home. As he watched various vehicles pull up and drive by, Nagata noticed that that a light snow was beginning to fall. Normally the sight would have cheered him; it would have meant snowball fights and hot chocolate and ice skating with his family and friends. But nothing had been normal since he`d escaped SAO and Michihiko hadn`t. During his two year imprisonment, all of Nagata`s friends had grown distant and moved on to spend time with others. His family, already small and consisting of only Michihiko, Nagata, and their parents had been torn apart. His parents had been fighting before their children had to be hospitalized because of Sword Art Online. Their conflict had only grown more heated since then. Yagari, the man of the house, had fallen out of love with his wife and lost all hope that he would ever get his sons back. Yukio, their mother, had blamed herself for the entire thing. She believed that their boys had wanted to use the RPG to escape from the real world and the family`s escalating troubles. When Nagata had awakened, it had been to a painfully cold and unfamiliar environment. In this new world there was no Michihiko to talk to or tease him. His parents had gotten divorced, and his mom had given up custody of her sons because she thought herself an unfit mother. She was a weeping wreck now and claimed she was too ashamed of her failures as a parent to see him. His father was now dating and living with a stranger of the same sex who was only eleven years older than Nagata himself. All of his friends were no longer his friends, they were two years ahead of him in school now and had two years of experiences he couldn`t begin to relate to. He`d been forced to relearn how to walk and undergo daily routines to regain a healthy muscle tone. Nagata thought the real life he`d woken up to was almost more hellish than the virtual one he`d been involuntarily contained in. At least in Aincrad he hadn`t felt so lost and alone.

The youngest Shinichi stood and pulled up the hood on his sweatshirt as a dark blue station wagon arrived outside of the hospital. From the front passenger`s seat, Shinsuke, (call me 'Suki') Yagari`s partner waved. Nagata did not wave back, and in fact had to suppress his urge to shudder at the young man`s appearance. At 26 years old, Shinsuke tried to dress like he was half that. His "style" looked more like cross-dressing to Nagata than any sort of unique fashion sense. '_How the hell can my dad like you? I don`t even want to be seen in the same car as you!' _The fifteen year-old thought as he opened the rear driver`s side door and climbed in. He was busy buckling his seat belt when Shinsuke said;

"Naga-san, how did your last day go?" The older man was grinning, trying for sweet and caring, but to the teen he only managed to look creepy.

"It went by like any other day." Nagata muttered quietly, trying to avoid the impending awkward conversation by sounding disinterested. It wasn`t like this weirdo could relate or understand anyways. _If he really paid attention he might actually pick up on the fact that I just want to be left alone. _

Undaunted, Shinsuke continued his cheerful, pointless inquisition while Yagari drove away from the hospital and towards their new home. "Oh, come now. There must have at least been some well-wishers wanting to send you off. In just over two months you`ve made so much progress."

"Nope. No one was there wishing me well or good luck. I wouldn`t want them to anyways."

"Why not, son? Didn`t you meet any cute nurses while you were there?" Yagari joked as he steered them on to the expressway via an entrance ramp. The handsome, dark-haired man glanced in the rear view mirror to find his youngest son staring stubbornly out the window.

"No. I`d rather that instead of pretending everything was alright and trying to win me over with fake sincerity, they work harder at bringing my brother back." Coffee-brown eyes snapped up to meet his parent`s in the mirror before Nagata glared out the window once more and crossed his arms over his narrow chest in a passive aggressive manner. Stung by his son`s implication, Yagari looked away. He was at a loss for words. When had his boy become so confrontational?

"Nagata, that was a cruel thing to say to your father! You know he can`t do anything about Michihiko`s condition. It`s not fair to take it out on him." Shinsuke said indignantly. The petite blonde man could hardly believe the words that had just come out of this kid`s mouth. When he`d first met Yagari, all he`d talked about were his two sons and how kind and respectful and well behaved they were. So far, the younger of the two boys had yet to demonstrate such characteristics in Suki`s eyes.

"He could at least visit him instead of wasting all his free time with _you_." Nagata whispered bitterly to himself under his breath. He watched the other cars on the highway, wishing he were in one of those vehicles instead of this one, living someone else`s life.

"What was that?" Yagari asked sharply, not having understood the words but knowing they had been disrespectful.

"Nothing, dad. I`m tired. Can we just go?"

"That`s fine. But when we get home you can go straight to your room and stay there until dinner time. I don`t like your attitude today. I hope it improves by later tonight or we`re going to have to have a creative discussion Nagata." His father flicked on his turn signal and hopped over a lane; their exit was coming up in a few miles.

Meanwhile, Suki had finally turned around in his seat but was still shooting displeased glances at Yagari`s youngest from time to time. Nagata studiously ignored what he perceived as the 'blonde-haired freak' and longed to get back to the house. Being sent to his room was like a reprieve to the angst-ridden teen. It was plain and unadorned since his father had just bought the house five months ago. (He was leaving the decorating to Suki.) But the room was given to Nagata, and had become his refuge from a world that had otherwise seemed to turn its back on him. _Maybe this is what they call 'karma'. Maybe, because I didn`t go out of my way to fight and help everyone escape SAO this is my punishment. I hid like a coward there, so now I`m forced to hide in this world too. _Nagata gritted his teeth angrily against his guilty thoughts. The station wagon had left the highway and was now riding along a smooth, paved road along the outskirts of a small town. This too the boy resented; when his parents were together their family had lived in a large city. Full of lights, department stores, and people, it was a far cry from this sparsely populated place. The whole town consisted of two schools, three restaurants, a grocery store, a general goods store, a post office, and a city park. Rather than the tightly packed neighborhood teeming with kids his own age, the adolescent found himself living in what felt like the middle of nowhere. Yagari had bought a large home in a much more rural area, where his closest neighbors weren`t simply one wall away on the other side of a hall. Originally, Nagata had been grateful for the solitude of the place; no reporters came to pester him about his experiences in his virtual prison. As he began to readjust to life in the real world once more though, he found the quiet unnerving. It only seemed to be broken by the sound of the occasional train passing through, crickets chirping at night, and the hated cacophony of Shinsuke`s laughter.

The vehicle swayed slightly as it pulled off on to a mostly dirt road. Nagata found his stomach becoming disagreeable and unsettled; he found the sensation of riding in a car often gave him motion sickness since he`d regained his freedom. Nauseous, he quickly exited the car when Yagari parked it in the driveway. The smell of clean winter air helped to ease his temper and sickness a bit as a breeze blew by. Dark clouds overhead dusted the area with snow as the three males picked their way up the iced-over stone path that lead to the front porch of their home. On the way, Shinsuke suddenly slipped on a patch of ice. He yelped in surprise as he fell. Before the younger man could hit the ground Yagari caught him and they both wound up in a clumsy hug as they clung to each other not to slip again. The brunette from whom Shinichi got his eye color laughed at his partner`s clumsiness and Suki giggled in a disturbingly feminine manner. Nagata used his own key to unlock the door to the two-story house with a disgusted scoff at the older men. He fled to his room as quickly as possible and locked his bedroom door behind himself. Stripping off his sweater, he tossed it in to the laundry hamper in one corner out of annoyance. His window was cracked open an inch or so, which relieved the stifling heat inside the house. Nagata sat down moodily at his desk and flipped on his computer. While it was booting up he snagged a can of ginger ale soda from the mini-fridge next to his bed, hoping it would settle his stomach. When had this become his normal routine? When had anger and depression become his near constant companions, and why? Nagata wasn`t sure why any of this had happened, to him or to any of the other survivors. He felt lost and furious over the entire ordeal. Who had decided it was okay to entrap a bunch of innocent people and take their lives away? Akihiko Kayaba was not God. But as the developer of Sword Art Online he had made himself one, if only in a world of his own creation. It was his fault Nagata had lost two years of his life, his fault that his brother was still in a coma, and his fault that everything had changed. So why did Nagata feel so guilty? He hadn`t chosen, or wanted for any of these things to happen. What the fifteen year-old wanted now more than anything was to have his brother and his old life back. The one he was stuck living now didn`t feel real. Aggravated with himself and his turbulent thoughts, Shinichi found himself linking to the internet and visiting a site dedicated to the survivors of Aincrad`s nightmare. It was made by those players, for those players. The purpose was to help them all cope with the aftermath of the last two years.

It was not by accident that Nagata went to this website; he read through the forums often as they sometimes helped him work out his frustrations. He took a sip of his drink and selected a newly posted thread with his mouse. It was a series of articles pertaining to Argus`s rise and fall in the gaming industry. One piece further down revealed that a company called RECT Progress had basically bought out Argus`s patent on the full-dive technology and was apparently using it to develop new games. His interest morbidly sparked, Nagata scrolled down the screen reading further. _'RECT Progress has just recently released a new MMORPG to the public which utilizes full-dive technology. Some early speculations have implied that the game would be a wasted investment on the company`s part because of the recent Sword Art Online disaster. However, sales of the new AmuSphere equipment required to play have been steadily rising. Sagaya Mimochi, an assistant developer for ALO assures the populace that RECT Progress has made many improvements to the new system, so that the events of SAO may not be repeated. She also states that ALO is "unlike any other enterprise out there" as it`s setting is completely diverse from previous full-dive software. Apparently, it incorporates a flight simulator in to game play and allows for many elements not available with other consoles…' _Nagata had to pause in his reading. The news had started a strange flutter of unease in his stomach. The article claimed this 'ALO' game shared no similarities with its predecessor with the exception of base technology. Supposedly the full dive equipment was greatly improved and much safer now. What if that wasn`t true though? What if this game was a trap just like SAO, waiting to be sprung on more unsuspecting innocents? Nagata couldn`t bear the thought of that. No one should ever have to go through what he went through, he reflected. The idea that such programming was still being used; that it was still _legal_ enraged him. How many more could lose their friends, families, and lives? With his anger to fuel him, Nagata began to research more about the new company and its subsidiaries. Anything he could find he read in to. There had to be _some_ kind of dirt on them, something he could use against them. Driven by his own losses and fears, the youngest Shinichi wanted to find a way to bring the use of full dive based programs to a halt. There was no way to tell if they were safe, Nagata thought. There was no way RECT Progress could redeem Argus`s errors, or make him forget about Akihiko Kayaba`s sadistic desire to play God. After a good few hour`s time of searching and filtering the results, Nagata finally stood and stretched. His back cracked as he turned to work out the kinks that were now present there. For the first time since he had woken up he felt like he`d found something worth his time. Mulling over his ideas, the teen determined that the best way to bring down this program was probably from the inside. The concept terrified him, but not as much as the notion that SAO might repeat itself and kill thousands more people. He knew he was too young and inexperienced to get in to an internship where he might spy on the employees and gather evidence against them directly. The only other option Nagata could see was going in to the game itself. He would spend the next half hour before dinner turning the scheme over in his head as he showered. By the time the boy went to bed that night he had made a decision; he would bring down the technology that had taken his older brother away no matter the cost.


	3. New Kid on the Block

**A/N: ****First, sorry I haven`t updated in a bit. Second, yes, Jun is the same one from the Rosario arc, I couldn`t find his last name. Also, I made up Chiyohide Academy because I couldn`t find the name of the middle school where Nagata and Suguha attend classes. Lastly, I will be updating again in the next few days, which explains the short chapter. The next one will be suitably longer, I promise! **

**Absent Light Online**

**Chapter Two: New Kid on the Block**

The beginning of the week arrived with a drop in temperature and more snow. Nagata thrashed in his warm nest of blankets as his bedside alarm clock blared and woke him from a precious two hours of sleep. Only half-awake and partly panicked at the sudden loud noise, the teen felt blindly for the infernal clock to shut it off. When pressing the button repeatedly didn`t seem to work, he hefted the alarm and chucked it across the room. It smashed in to the corner of his desk with a dull _clunk_ and was effectively silenced. Nagata managed to free himself from his tangle of blankets and groped blindly for his glasses. He found them and put them on, and the world resolved itself in to clear shapes instead of blurred colors. Wearily he dragged himself up and made for the bathroom adjoining his bedroom. From between the dark green curtains framing the window he noticed it was snowing outside. The boy finished his routine morning grooming and came back to search his closet for presentable clothes. The youngest Shinichi was caught by surprise when he spotted a set of new clothes laid out over the back of his desk chair with a note neatly pinned to them. Curious, he unfastened the memo and scanned the unfamiliar handwriting;

_'Good morning, Naga-san! Your father and I hope you can forgive us for not being here to drive you in on your first day at the new school. Obviously he has work, and a family emergency has called me away. This is the new uniform you`ll be required to wear. I left breakfast in the fridge, just microwave it. The bus arrives on the corner at 06:30, you`ll find a pass for it in the front pocket of your jacket. Good luck and do your best! -Suki.'_

Nagata made a face at the paper and retrieved his alarm clock from the floor. Noting that thankfully it wasn`t broken, he saw the time was 05:46 a.m. He had just over half an hour to get dressed, eat, gather his things, and get out to the bus stop. _It is way too early for this._ Nagata grumbled under his breath as he donned the uniform and made his way down the stairs to the kitchen. As far as uniforms went it wasn`t bad; the fabric was a comfortable cotton blend and black in color. Small brass buttons adorned the cuffs of the jacket`s sleeves and a matching embroidered line ran down the side of the pants. Nagata wore his own plain white long sleeve shirt underneath. The thermal shirt was one of his favorites and would help insulate against the cold. He checked his brown Carhart coat next to the front door and found the pass was indeed right where Shinsuke had said it would be. Shinichi wasn`t sure if he was more grateful for 'Suki`s' guidance or irritated by it. _On the one hand, it is kind of helpful. _Nagata thought, as he opened the fridge and found a plate of breakfast burritos. He made a face and reached for the milk next to it instead. _On the other, I`m not a child, and he`s a complete weirdo. I definitely don`t like the relationship between him and my dad. _He retrieved a bowl and cereal from the cupboards and made his own meal. Chewing thoughtfully on the cocoa flavored 'bites' he glanced to his left and saw the newspaper lying on the counter. He lifted the paper with his free hand and scanned the front page. There wasn`t much going on that interested him and he quickly tossed it aside to finish his meal. Nagata looked to the clock on the microwave after rinsing his dishes and placing them in the dishwasher. He still had a few minutes left before he had to leave but he figured it was better to be early than to be late. So, it was with a dutiful drag in his step that the teen scavenged his boots from the front closet and packed his messenger bag for school. This would be his first time going back since he`d woken up from his coma. He found that yes, he was actually a bit nervous, but didn`t see any other choice. There was a special facility for those who had survived the game, and he would be taking remedial classes there. However, the bulk of his education would be completed in the public school nearby. His father had suggested going full time to the academy established for survivors from the video game, but Nagata had been firmly against it. He was afraid someone would recognize him for the coward he had been while trapped in SAO. Shaking off the dark thoughts, the boy trudged outside in to the still lightly falling snow and down the road to the bus stop. His breath steamed in the chilly air as he watched the road. Nagata didn`t notice another boy walking up the other side of the street until he crossed the road and waved. The boy looked to be perhaps a few years younger than Shinichi and had strangely bright red-orange hair. He was wearing a pair of earmuff-like headphones around his neck and carried a shabby looking backpack on one shoulder. His overcoat was patchy and worn, but the boy didn`t seem to mind as he carried himself with an excited demeanor. He wore the same set of uniform pants as Nagata himself.

"Hello!" The shorter redhead said cheerfully as he came to stand near the same bench as the older boy. Neither sat down; they both knew the metal seat would be frigid and uncomfortable in these weather conditions.

"Er, hi." The SAO survivor replied somewhat awkwardly. He had no idea who this person was or why they seemed so happy when the sun was barely even up yet.

"Are you a new student at Chiyohide Academy?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Phew!" The boy made a loud, relieved noise. "I thought I was the only late transfer." The youth explained with a more relaxed smile. He stuck out one gloved hand and added, "My name`s Akimori Jun. I`m a second-year." Nagata blinked. Was this guy really only one year behind him? He wondered before taking the kid`s hand and shaking it politely.

"Shinichi Nagata. This is my last year of junior high."

"You`re ahead of me by a year then. Wow, you look really young." Jun meant that statement as a compliment, but he wasn`t sure Shinichi took it that way. He hoped the other student didn`t think he was calling him immature.

"Ha, thanks. Try that on an older girl some time." Nagata suggested with a small smirk. This person appeared to be as socially awkward as he was and it made him feel a bit better. At least he wasn`t the only new kid on the block, he thought. At the end of the street the bus had shown up; it was turning the corner towards them now. The older student pointed this out and their conversation faded away with Jun chuckling at his companion`s joke. The bus slid to a halt with the sound of air brakes engaging and the doors opened up. Nagata went first and presented his ticket, Jun followed and did likewise. The vehicle itself was fairly packed with people. Most were around Nagata`s age or a little younger. There were a few older passengers who looked like they might be on their way to work; this was a community bus after all. Nagata found himself a seat near the front a few places back from the driver. He was in the aisle seat as the one next to the window was occupied. Jun seemed to find a place near the rear of the bus, and Nagata promptly lost himself in a gaming magazine he`d brought with him. The main section he was interested in had to do once more with the new AmuSphere equipment RECT Progress had released. The whole ride took about 40 minutes, passing through first rural and then more urban areas. It wouldn`t have taken so long save the bus had a scheduled stop route and paused every so often to release passengers and acquire more. Finally Nagata and Jun`s stop came up, and they along with a few other teens disembarked.

Chiyohide Academy stood before them, not at all like the last school Nagata had gone to. This one was much larger, easier to get lost in and sprawled over the crest of a low rolling hill. The bus had pulled up in front of a sizeable lawn which was scattered with low wooden benches and picnic tables. A mixture of bare birch and cherry trees dotted the snow-covered grass. The school buildings were constructed from pale white cement and had dark slanted roofs made from terra cotta tiles. The windows were large and numerous; overall the place had a very open feeling to it. Nagata imagined it to be more like a college campus than any junior high school he`d seen before. He shouldered his messenger bag once more and began heading towards the welcome center where he would meet up with a student representative to guide him around. Jun appeared next to his elder counterpart with an air of nervous jubilation about him.

"Shinichi-kun, good luck." He said, before returning to an official-looking young girl wearing a vest embroidered with the school`s insignia.

Nagata watched the boy take off and waved to him with a weak smile. He hoped the kid did alright on his first day too, and was reminded somewhat of his younger self. He shook his head and concentrated on the task at hand. He made it to the office with about ten minutes to spare before he had to start his first class. Nagata was given a new ID badge on a lanyard, his schedule, and a map of the institution. Another student wearing the same vest as the girl from earlier showed up a few minutes after that and led Shinichi down the halls and up a staircase to the second floor. A few more turns down various corridors later and he was left standing outside his homeroom class. After that the entire day flashed by in a blur of faces, lessons, and noise. He didn`t remember the names of half of the people he met, but he did notice a few of the same faces appeared in some of his classes. One of them in particular stuck in his mind when he`d asked her for directions on how to get to the gym. He did remember her name, because she had been so kind to him and she was a cute girl. It was Suguha Kirigaya, a young lady his age with dark gray eyes and short black hair. Nagata was actually absorbed in reflection of the day`s events as he headed back towards the buses when he noticed another familiar face. Stuck in the middle of a knot of kids Nagata`s age was a spiky head of auburn-orange hair.

"Give it back! That`s _mine!_" Jun shouted in frustration. Three males stood around him tossing his ratty backpack back and forth among them above the younger boy`s head.

"Ha! What`s wrong can`t you reach it yourself, Shorty?" One teased.

"Of course he can`t. This ginger`s not even old enough to be going to school here yet!" Another commented in a snarky tone. He had a tiny blade of a nose wedged between eyes that were too close together.

"I`m eleven! And unlike you morons I skipped two grades." Jun cried indignantly. Nagata had thought Jun looked too young to really be in school here, but rather than bully the kid like these assholes were doing he was impressed. Anger was rising up in him at the unfair treatment. He wasn`t sure where the courage came from, but suddenly Shinichi was striding towards the group with purpose. There was no good reason for their behavior. The third bully was one Nagata recognized from his math class earlier that morning, and the guy saw him coming.

"What`s up Shinichi? You want in on this?" The sandy haired teen invited him to join in their antics. In response, Nagata walked over and snagged the backpack from his grip. He made to toss it at one of the other bullies, but at the last moment turned and punched his classmate in the nose. Stunned, the antagonist fell right over backwards clutching his now bleeding face. His allies made to retaliate, but stopped at the look on Nagata`s face and his next words;

"Try it and I`ll break more than just your nose." His threatening tone paired with the fact that their friend was now crying like a toddler on the ground and bleeding everywhere seemed to discourage them. Leaving their mate, the other two teens ran off and disappeared. Thug Number Three was fast in scrambling to follow them. Nagata handed Jun his backpack back and asked him tentatively if he was alright.

"Yeah, I`m okay. Thanks Shinichi-kun. I was about to miss the bus home. You`re way brave for sticking up for me." Jun told him gratefully. He gave him a look that resembled hero-worship and asked if the older boy would sit with him on the bus ride back. Nagata shook his head no and replied;

"No problem, they seemed like jerks anyways. I can`t sit with you though, I have one more class still at another campus."

"Oh. O-okay then. Thanks again. I really owe you one." Jun said somewhat disappointedly as they reached the bus stop. They second-year boarded with a last wave goodbye and Nagata kept walking down the street towards down town. The SAO survivor`s school was just four blocks over past the railway tracks. Shinichi rubbed at his hand where he`d punched his year-mate. _Where did that come from, anyways?_ He wondered s he noticed his knuckles were slightly bloodied and scraped. _Did that really just happen? I`m fighting with other kids now, on the first day of school. _The dark-haired fifteen year-old frowned and stuck his hands deep in the pockets of his Carhart. Hopefully too many people hadn`t seen that and he wouldn`t get in trouble. Sighing he continued on his way until he came to the building where he would have his last class-an hour long-at the end of the day. There were about thirty minutes until the class itself started and Nagata was thankful. He entered the lobby and found his way to the lunch room, as his stomach grumbled for something to fill it. Nagata frowned again when he pulled out his wallet and found only a few bills there. It was enough for a pop and a granola bar, which he gladly bought and opened. However, the shortness of funds got him to thinking; maybe he should look for some kind of part-time work. After fifteen minutes spent finishing his impromptu snack the adolescent went to wait in the room where his remedial course would be held and saw a few other kids sitting there as well. One of them wore his school uniform and looked to be in the same grade, but Nagata didn`t recognize him from any of their classes. He had chin-length brown hair and coffee-colored eyes. An older boy sat next to him, wearing the uniform of a private high school and chatting quietly with the other kid. Their appearances were similar enough that Nagata guessed they might have been siblings. He found a seat near the back of the room and pulled out his magazine once more. Nagata felt distinctly uncomfortable here; he definitely didn`t want anyone to recognize him. He wasn`t sure how long hiding behind his _Gamer Monthly_ would help him with that endeavor, but he was giving it his best shot.


	4. The Green Fairy

**A/N:**** It took me a few days` worth of editing to whip this chapter in to a shape I am satisfied with. I apologize for any remaining errors in spelling or grammar that I may have missed. To give you a better idea of the place I put Nagata working in, it`s the equivalent of a Barnes & Noble with a café attached. For the record I live in the United States, where shops like this are pretty common anymore. There`s a little bit more development with Jun and Nagata in this chapter, and yes, Suguha is more involved as well. If you`re worried because the other mains from SAO haven`t shown up much yet, don`t! You will see them soon. Keep in mind that I have deviated from the timeline from the manga with a few major points here. As always, I hope to hear what you all think of this fanfic, so please review! **

**Absent Light Online**

**Chapter Three: The Green Fairy**

Nagata`s fist week back to school was nothing short of pure hell. There were good parts, like having Jun around to keep him company and when Nagata found out he wasn`t nearly as behind in his studies as he`d originally feared. If he kept going to the remedial classes at the SAO survivors` school, the midnight-haired boy thought that he would be able to take his senior high school entrance exams along with everyone else at the end of this year. The only subject he was having a great deal of academic trouble with was Social Studies & Current Events, for understandable reasons. But, everything else about returning to his interrupted real life seemed to be dead set on either beating Nagata in to a pulp or driving him slowly mad. The former consisted of the bullies he`d saved Jun from on the first day of class. By standing up for the younger boy the elder seemed to have made himself a target for the antagonists` pranks and snide remarks. The latter was attributed to a myriad of people, events, and tangled emotions. Since escaping from the 'death game' Shinichi had been having nightmares almost every time he slept. He could never seem to sleep for more than a few hours at a time for the clawing fears that would wake him. His older brother`s face featured strongly in those terrifying dreams, often pale gray and smeared with Michihiko`s own blood as he was run through by an enemy`s weapons. Every time he saw the visions behind his closed eyelids Nagata was helpless. It seemed to be a great and growing terror for him. Repeatedly he would try to run to Michihiko and, reaching out to save his brother, would find only bloody stumps where his hands had once been. The phrase 'use it before you lose it' mocked him in those moments. Even without the nightly horrors his mind invented for Nagata`s slumber, things would have been difficult. Shinsuke and his father were driving the teen crazy with their cutesy antics towards each other. Suki`s behavior in particular grated on him; the man kept trying to act like a mother hen. When the youngest Shinichi had shared his caustic thoughts on _that_ enterprise, he had been yelled at by his father more fiercely than he could ever recall and been sent to his room without dinner. Nagata had tried to visit his estranged mother again but once more she had refused to see him for more than a few minutes, and had babbled woefully about her failures instead of trying to carry a real conversation with her child. The snow hadn`t let up much either, and this was the icing on the cake as the boy walked out to meet the community bus that Friday morning. Trudging through about two feet of frozen white flakes, the chill seemed to penetrate his very bones and set Nagata`s teeth to chattering before he was halfway down the block. He was not at all happy when Jun leapt out of nowhere and pegged him squarely in the face with a large clod of compacted snow.

"Gah! Jun, you little brat!" Nagata yelped as some of the icy crystals found their way under his collar and contacted his skin. Furiously he brushed the remnants of the snowball away and began jumping around trying to shake it from his jacket and underclothes. The redheaded prankster`s only response was to laugh maniacally and throw another snowball, which his senior just barely managed to dodge. The bus was nowhere in sight, so without an escape route Nagata saw that his only option would be to fight back. He hefted a clump of the frosty powder and packed it in to a sphere to launch at his unexpected opponent. The missile hit directly on top of the other student`s hat and splattered satisfyingly all over his face. Jun gave a howl of displeasure as it slid down the back of his coat and shirt.

"No fair, Nagata! I wasn`t aiming for your face!"

"Like I`d believe that. Don`t dish it out if you can`t take it!" Nagata responded using a quote from his older brother. It did not occur to him how much he looked and sounded like an annoyed older brother himself just then. Jun retorted by sticking his tongue out and making a face before dusting off his hat. The bus arrived just then and they both sat in one of the seats together, as had become their habit. Shinichi fetched another issue of _Gamer Monthly_ from his bag and cracked it open over his knees. Sitting next to him and grouching quietly about his wet hair, Jun looked over. An expression of curiosity lit his features and he asked;

"What are you reading, anyways? You`ve always got your head stuck in some book or magazine."

"It`s a video game magazine. It`s all about new games that have come out, the latest tech, and extra content for stuff that`s already been released. It`s interesting." The older boy said with a slight frown creasing his brow. Jun rolled his eyes and poked Nagata`s forehead with a frigid finger.

"It looks painful if your face is anything to go by."

"Quit being such a pest, Jun."

"Quit hogging the magazine, Nagata-kun."

"What do you want with it? It`s just game stuff, you don`t even play video games." Shinichi reasoned, he turned the next page in the article about Alfheim Online he`d been reading.

"Maybe I want to and I`m just too poor. You think it`s cool so why can`t I see for myself and have an opinion?" The younger boy whined and tried to read over Nagata`s shoulder, entirely invading his space.

"Gah, fine! Get out of my face already." Nagata huffed, exactly as Michihiko used to do when his younger sibling irritated him. He crossed his arms over his chest after he tossed the publication Jun`s way. Jun laughed gleefully and caught it then began to read.

~X~x~X~x~X~

After classes at the Chiyohide Academy that day Nagata made his way to the SAO education center once more. Instead of heading to the chamber where lessons where normally held, Nagata went to one called the Community Room. Posters for self-help and wellness groups, contact information for various treatment centers and information about programs that could potentially help those who were suffering from post traumatic stress and other similar disorders plastered the walls. A large cork board covered over in job listings and volunteer opportunities hung near the doorway. It was this that Nagata was interested in and he walked over to examine the ads. Dark eyes scanned the board intently, searching for something suitable. He wanted to get inside ALO to investigate, and to do that he would need to purchase new gaming equipment and the game itself. So far that had proven to be a challenge, since Nagata didn`t get an allowance. His father would sometimes pay him to do chores around the house like cleaning the garage, but such occurrences were fairly rare. Some of the neighbors had been employing Nagata to shovel their walks and driveways for them, but who knew how long that would last? So far he had about half of what he needed saved up. A part-time job was going to be the quickest way for Shinichi to get some cash and therefore to get his hands on the mechanisms for his revenge. A small smile turned his mouth up as the teen spotted a simple listing that promised quick payment. '_Part time at a bookstore, huh?'_ Nagata thought that might be doable. The shop advertised was just a few blocks away from here; he had seen it one day as his dad was picking him up from his remedial class. He didn`t mind the idea of working with books either; at least it would probably be a quiet, peaceful job for the most part. He took the poster with its information from its tacks and folded it to fit snugly in his pants pocket. When he got home later this evening he would call the store and try to set up an interview. For now though, Nagata went off to attend his class.

He had found that a few of the other students in the SAO group also went to his normal school. With the exception of one girl though, they were all at least a year ahead of him. It was startling to see though that some of the other participants were many years older than Nagata. He had forgotten for the most part that some of Sword Art Online`s players were fully grown adults. The class hosted here did not just cater to those in their teens; it was open to everyone in the area who had undergone the trials of the other reality and escaped the death game. The majority of its members were indeed around their late teens and early to mid-twenties, however. The eldest person present was a 52 year-old man named Kichirou Noboru. In the virtual alternate reality he was a fisherman who had joined the game with his grandson Naoki so that they could spend time together. In the real world, Naoki had lived on the other side of Japan and been away at a private university. He had not survived the game, because he had been one of those on the front lines with the Knights of the Blood Oath trying to clear the game. Kichirou bitterly regretted not joining his grandson now that the game was over and the boy was gone. In real life, he was confined to a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down. The old man had shared with the group that he wished dearly to have done something while he had the use of his legs, if only in a false world. Nagata felt sorry for him, but he also felt a kinship to the elderly male. Like so many others, they had both lost someone close to them while trapped in that prison of technology. It was people like Kichirou who reinforced Nagata`s desire to expose RECT Progress for the villains they were and prevent another incident like Sword Art Online from ever happening again.

~X~x~X~x~X~

Two weeks later Nagata had his first paycheck from his new job at the bookstore. It was with a sense of vindicated triumph that he walked to the front of the store with a brand new AmuSphere and Alfheim Online clutched in his pale, shaking hands to the check out. As it turns out the shop Shinichi now worked for, called Pen and Portal, was a multimedia retailer. In addition to literature, they also sold laptops, tablets, music and music devices, movies, and much more. Thankfully, the company had no policy about waiting for an employee discount so Nagata was able to use his right away. He was uncharacteristically pleased with himself for getting his first job and putting so much effort in to it. It felt good to actually be actively _doing_ something and working towards what he considered an extremely worthwhile goal. Once he was able to infiltrate ALO and begin gathering intelligence he hoped to not only incriminate RECT Progress but also to find clues about his brother`s condition. Just yesterday he had gone to visit Michihiko at the hospital and told his still-comatose sibling about his plan. Of course, he couldn`t be sure Michihiko heard anything he said. But he hoped that he could, and that wherever his brother was lost right now he would glean some hope from the fact that at least one person in this world hadn`t forgotten about him and was fighting to free him.

Nagata used these thoughts to strengthen his resolve as he finally purchased the game and gear, as he caught a bus back towards home, and later as he finally set up the game. For a few moments he could do nothing but sit on his bed and stare at the AmuSphere. A sliver of fear and doubt had wormed it`s hideous way in to his mind and grown was eating away at Nagata`s stubborn determination. The emotion was rooted in the considerably traumatic memories he had of being stuck in a virtual reality for two years while his physical body had slowly wasted away in a hospital bed. The prospect of potentially repeating the experience horrified the fifteen year-old. But his hands clenched in to tight fists as he remembered that his nii-san was _still_ in that hell, or one like it. Nagata had decided before embarking on this endeavor that even if he risked reliving Sword Art Online, that that was a risk he was willing to take to save his brother. It would be worth it if he could give the one person he had always idolized their life back. With a breath that shook as much as his hands Nagata gathered the vestiges of his courage. He donned the AmuSphere and oddly enough, as soon as he did so his fears began to recede. _'Do this for Michihiko. Turning back isn`t an option now.'_ Nagata thought silently to himself. He laid back on his bed and let out a quiet breath he hadn`t realized he`d been holding.

"Link start!" Shinichi commanded with more bravery than he felt. He`d closed his eyes already and was instantly swept up in a swirl of colors behind his eyelids. Within seconds, Nagata was transported to another, virtual world. The colors resolved themselves in to shapes and he found himself in a sort of lobby. Floating before him were several figures, each a specimen of one of the fairy races of Alfheim. [Choose Your Race] appeared as a prompt in front of him. The letters sort of hovered in the air before the boy, changing color every so often. Nagata scanned through the various available choices and one with dark, bat-like wings caught his eye. It was listed as an 'Imp' type, and he liked the appearance. The fact that they had a special ability titled [Underground Flight] made him curious. He gathered that this was something the other races did not have. While Nagata had read a bit about the in-game flight system from reviews online he wasn`t sure he`d be able to wrap his head around the idea until he actually got a chance to try it. He browsed for a few moments more, trying to find the right choice. The sleuth in him wanted something that could be stealthy and quick, easily capable of getting in and out of whatever area he needed to. Overall he thought the 'Sylph' type seemed like the best selection for those purposes, and used that as his race. When his avatar was randomly generated, Nagata was surprised at the dull golden hair and blue eyes that his character was given. He decided to change them and settled on a pale green for his hair and slightly darker green for his eyes, which matched his sense of aesthetics much more agreeably. _Now for a name_, he thought just before another prompt popped up. What sounded good? 'Ghost', no definitely not, that would be overused. 'Shade' was also too stereotypical. Maybe something more appropriate for a secret agent or special ops group would do? He entertained the idea for a few minutes, not wanting to be obvious but at the same time wishing for something unique. 'Recon' seemed right. The more he pondered the name the more he liked it. A few prompts later and 'Recon' was ready to begin his scouting mission. He spent the rest of that night and early in to the morning hours of the next day familiarizing himself with the world of Alfheim and particularly the city of Swilvane.

On and off over the next few days Nagata played as much as he could, in addition to keeping track of the forums and blogs concerning RECT Progress. Within a week he had streamlined his character and reached level twelve. His starting gear had long since been replaced by two wickedly sharp, augmented daggers and he had strong (if simple) light armor. Nagata liked that ALO included the use of magic; he thoroughly enjoyed using a technique known as [Hollow Body] which allowed him to become temporarily invisible and sneak around with ease. The flight simulator was an entirely different challenge. He was able to manage it with a flight control device, but was hopeless without one which made all-out aerial combat impossible for the time being. More importantly than his abilities, Recon had gained information from players in ALO that he hadn`t been able to discern as Nagata Shinichi. He had known that Michihiko wasn't the only one to wake up when SAO was terminated, supposedly beaten by a teen only a few years older that Nagata. What he hadn`t known was that all of those who hadn`t woken had higher-level characters and equally high levels of intelligence in the real world. Recon met two other ALO players that were basically doing the same thing he was in trying to find some scrap or hint in this new game that would connect it to the crimes of the former. One like him had a still-comatose younger cousin. His character name was Ginei and he played a Cait Sith type ranger. The other was a young female Imp called Yurei who`s elder sister also remained unresponsive in the hospital. Yurei was an out and out warrior class and Recon simultaneously thought her admirable and foolish for her claim that she would break anything getting in her way of finding out why her sister hadn`t woken up yet. The irony of his own opinions was not lost on him. The three agreed to work together however they could and began sending regular communication via the in-game messenger and through email. They were very careful about their activities; none of them anticipated the impending arrival of a fourth person to their group.

Three weeks after Nagata had begun playing ALO as Recon he was sought out by a fellow student at his junior high school. He and Jun were sitting together at a school-wide assembly announcing plans for the impending Spring Culture Festival that was still two months away. Jun seemed excited but Nagata wasn`t too interested. He had steady work now and figured that between his job and trying to help his brother still he would likely have better things to do than celebrate some pointless festival. Even if said festival would have fun games, tasty food, and other kids his age. Okay, so maybe he was interested but he was trying his damndest to stay focused on other things right now. Akimori was egging his elder counterpart on to try something fun once in a while. It seemed that Jun knew just when Nagata was falling in to dark thoughts and how to interrupt them. After the assembly was over the eleven year-old was about to do just that but was saved from having to do so by the arrival of a really cute girl walking up to them.

"Shinichi-san, hey." Suguha Kirigaya smiled brightly at them as she tried to get Nagata`s attention. She didn`t have to try very hard; it wasn`t every day that pretty young ladies his age made a point of talking to him.

"Oh, Kirigaya-chan. Hello. How have you been?" Nagata found himself smiling shyly while Jun also greeted the girl politely before excusing himself to the bathroom.

"Good, great even if they didn`t give us so much homework." She replied with a dazzling smile of her own. Something about her expression had Nagata`s guard going up; she looked like she was trying too hard to be friendly to him. They were in the same year and shard a class or two, but she had never gone out of her way to talk to him before now even if they had always been polite in passing.

"Haraku-Sensei has been pretty liberal lately with his assignments. You aren`t having any trouble with them are you?" Suguha looked somewhat relieved that he was going to give her such an easy opening for what she was about to ask. She shook her head negatively and tucked a strand of dark hair behind one ear.

"Mm, he really has but Shizuka-Senpai is worse. I get by just fine, but I was hoping I could ask for your help with something else outside of school."

"What can I help you with?" The bespectacled teen voiced his thoughts in to words as he pushed his glasses back up his slightly crooked nose. His eyebrows had risen in curious arcs.

"Well, you see…er…I heard that you play those VRMMORPG`s a lot. I want to try to understand them a bit more. Someone I know was stuck in one for a long time and now they aren`t dealing with coming back so well." She responded somewhat awkwardly and evasively. If only this girl knew who she was talking to! He didn`t want to get in to SAO too deeply, but understood and applauded her desire to empathize with its victims.

"Eh, yes. That`s true, I`ve played a few. I don`t really encourage people to play them though. After what happened with Sword Art Online it could happen again just as easily." And there he went putting his foot in his mouth. _That sounded really insensitive, crap. _Nagata mentally half-panicked as he saw Suguha`s smile falter and dissipate. She adopted a straighter, if more honest face.

"Look, I know alright. I`m scared of that too. I`m really terrified that this person I care about is going to wind up falling back in to something like that. He`s, they`re not the same as before they went in. I want to help them, but I can`t even understand fully what they went through. I`m hopeless on my own to get too deep in to it, I have no experience and little time to master a game like that. I was just hoping you might be able to recommend something I can ease my way in to is all." There was sadness in her gray eyes now that Nagata had not seen there before. She looked lost and he felt kind of awful for her. He wished someone would have cared about him the way she obviously cared about the special person she`d mentioned. He had the other survivors, but they were all as jaded as he was or worse. No one outside that experience had really tried to understand or commiserate with them in any truly meaningful way as this girl seemed to be trying to do. Sure, she didn`t know he was one of the survivors as well. But the idea that she had come to him looking for aid with a cause like this put a warmth of admiration in his chest. He studied her carefully for a moment and knew his classmate was being entirely sincere.

"When you put it like that I don`t mind helping you out at all. That`s really nice that you care about someone like that Kirigaya-chan." Nagata told her and felt his smile grow more certain. She was a better person than he`d given her credit for e supposed.

"So…you`ll give me a hand and some advice then?" She asked, sounding cautious and hopeful simultaneously. When Shinichi answered affirmatively Suguha beamed at him. They began discussing the gaming genre after that as they walked in the direction of their respective classes. Nagata recommended ALO, because it would work best with her tight schedule for kendo club and because despite his original misgivings, he felt that out of all the VRMMORPGs out there right now that it was likely the safest.


End file.
